TAMPA, Fla — A hospital right here in Tampa Bay will be one of the first five in the state to get the new COVID-19 vaccine after it is approved for use.
A representative with Tampa General Hospital said it would be one of the first to get the initial vaccine.
The Sun-Sentinel reported Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, UF Health Jacksonville, and AdventHealth Orlando are the other hospitals expecting to get a shipment.
The Sun-Sentinel also said the first vaccines could start arriving as soon as mid-December with another shipment in January.
However, as of right now, a COVID-19 vaccine has not been approved for use yet.
An infectious disease expert from USF Public Health explains both vaccines are banking on new technology to fight the virus. It's called mRNA and no vaccine has previously used the method and been approved by the FDA before.
RELATED: More than 900,000 people in Florida have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began
The news of a vaccine making its way to Florida comes as the state's COVID-19 cases have started to climb again. Wednesday's report from the Florida Department of Health showed an increase of 7,925 COVID-19 cases for Nov. 17, bringing the statewide total to 905,248 since tracking began in March.
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